


Manifest Destiny

by clumsyghost



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24409477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsyghost/pseuds/clumsyghost
Summary: “What do you mean,” Larry repeated numbly, “that Rome is gone?”
Relationships: Jedediah & Octavius (Night at the Museum), Jedediah/Octavius (Night at the Museum)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 201





	1. The vanishing of the Roman Empire

“What do you mean,” Larry repeated numbly, “that Rome is gone?”

“Gone. Poof. Finis.” Dr. McPhee made a broad circular motion with his hands. “The board decided a change was needed, so the miniature Roman Empire exhibit is being temporarily replaced.”

“Temporarily?” Larry seized upon the word eagerly. Temporary was good, at least in this case. The two men rounded the corner to the Hall of Miniatures. With sunset still an hour away, all was calm and still. Larry’s gaze reached the Roman diorama. He felt his heart drop at the sight. Every trace of the former exhibit had been stripped from the space.

“I did not realize you were so fond of the dioramas, Mr. Daley,” Dr. McPhee remarked upon observing his employee’s downcast expression.

“I… Yes. I am. And so are others.” Larry thought of Jedediah. The little cowboy would be devastated to lose his friend. He could very well see Jed striking out in a heroic attempt to rescue Octavius. Oh, there was trouble in their future.

“Others? How would you know? You’re the night guard.”

“What? Oh. I’ve, err…, hm… read the comment cards,” Larry answered distractedly. There was a cart behind the museum director, filled with all sorts of tools and paint paraphernalia. Over to the side sat a wide tray. He could just make out a jumble of silver and red figurines. Larry’s heart began to beat faster. Just maybe…

Dr. McPhee squinted at Larry then burst into laughter. When he turned and walked away, Larry wasted little time. He stepped up to the cart, shifting through the miniatures, searching for the tell-tale red helmet plume and matching cape.

“C’mon Octavius, where are you?” Larry gritted his teeth. No doubt someone was on their way back to collect the cart. There! Larry snatched up the general just as McPhee called out to him. He slipped Octavius into his breast pocket and moved away from the cart.

“McPhee! Tell me about the new exhibit!”

————

Coming to was always slightly disconcerting, doubly so when the environment had changed from the previous night. Octavius felt his stiff muscles slowly relax as magic from the tablet seeped into him. He felt wary, displaced, and the discovery that he was standing high upon an unfamiliar ledge did nothing to settle him. Larry’s solemn face stared at him. Evidently the night guard had placed him at eye level for an important talk.

“What in the blazes….? Where’d you put us, Gigantor?” 

Not just him, it appeared. Jedediah was close by. Octavius glanced between his friend and Larry. He tried to recall if he and Jed had caused any spectacular mischief the previous night, but came up empty. They had ended the night innocently enough too, so this couldn’t be yet another “Love is Cool, but Be Appropriate” scolding.

“Hey guys,” Larry cut to the chase. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for Octavius.” Both miniatures stiffened. Jedediah took a step towards the Roman and placed a hand on his shoulder. “There really isn’t an easy way to say this but… the Roman exhibit has been replaced. I… I managed to get you out of the box before they took everything away. I’m sorry.”

Octavius stared back at Larry, speechless. His felt nothing and everything at the same time. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. Oh, Jupiter…

“For how long?” Jedediah demanded. He squeezed the Roman’s shoulder but he doubted Octavius even registered the contact.

“Well, McPhee did say it was temporary. I can get some clarification on that.” Larry looked thoughtful.

“Uh, yeah! That’s kind of important information!” Jed glared at the night guard then turned to Octavius, worried. The Roman still hadn't spoken. “Hear that, Oct? He said temporary. That means they’ll be coming back.”

Octavius blinked at Jed. “I… I wish to see. I want to see for myself that the empire is gone.” His words were punctuated with a sudden purposeful stride forwards. Larry hastily held up his hands so the miniature didn’t fall off the ledge. Jed was a step behind Octavius. 

Larry carefully lowered his hands and walked slowly through the museum. He knew both Jed and Oct disliked being carried this way. Jed more so, but the tiny cowboy wasn’t complaining for once. It was a quick walk back to the Hall of Miniatures. Larry crouched by the bench, hands flat against the top surface to allow the pair to dismount but they remained stock-still, gaze fixed across the room.

“What in Sam Hill…” Jed whispered. Hearing that Rome was gone was completely different than _seeing_ that Rome was gone. Beside the Western diorama was a massive empty space. Not a trace of the great civilization remained. Gone was the Colosseum, the magnificent buildings. Not one solider remained, not one Roman citizen. Even the background wallpaper had been painted over. The exhibit lights made all the blank whiteness emptier.

“What’s coming in?” Octavius finally asked after a long stretch of silence. His tone was flat. The empire was gone. His home was gone.

“Another American West exhibit. Umm, featuring the California gold rush,” Larry supplied.

Octavius looked at Jedediah, but the cowboy appeared as puzzled as he was. Even if the event had occurred after his time, Oct was sure Jed would be excited to see the expansion of his time period, and familiar land.

“Looks like manifest destiny won,” Octavius remarked bitterly.

Jed frowned. “I’m sorry, partner…”

“I know,” Octavius whispered. “That was unfair of me. Mē paenitet. I apologize. This isn’t anyone’s fault.”

“Gigantor?” Jed shot Larry a look that radiated ‘get lost’. “I think we need a minute to ourselves.” He stepped off of the night guard’s hand, tugging Octavius along with him.

“Sure. I’ll have more information for you tomorrow, okay? Have a good night. I mean, er…” Larry trailed off. He walked away, pausing once to glance back. The proud little general had remained stoic at the devastating news, but as Jedediah pulled him into his arms, he went willingly, burying his face in the cowboy’s shoulder.

At that moment, Larry made a vow to do his best to promote the return of the Roman diorama. He only hoped the new exhibit wouldn’t hold any colorful characters to grow attached to. 

————

The cowboy had driven them around the museum for a while, pretending it was just another typical night in an attempt to distract his friend. His tactic hadn’t worked; Octavius’ thoughts were too tangled for any levity and soon Jed gave up. There were still a few hours left until sunrise when the pair made their way to the Western diorama. The Roman had been quiet the entire walk to Jedediah’s tent. Now he lowered himself to sit on the bedroll. 

“You’ll need some American clothes if you’re gonna hang out here. But that can wait,” Jed added hastily as he took in Octavius’ expression. The Roman looked emotionally drained. Jed hated seeing so much sadness on his friend’s face. He hated that there wasn’t anything he could do to help bring back Oct’s home. He hated feeling helpless!

Octavius removed his helmet and looked around. He could count the number of times he had been inside Jed’s tent on one hand. He enjoyed seeing this side of the cowboy, but had respected Jed’s need for a space of his own. Octavius’ stomach flipped uncomfortably as a thought occurred to him. He had nothing, now. All his art, his weapons, his books…gone.

“It ain’t much,” Jed mumbled, suddenly shy.

“I am honored to be invited into your home and grateful for your compassion.” Octavius lifted his eyes to meet Jed’s gaze.

Jed snorted. “Grateful for a blanket on the ground and what? A messy desk?”

“Do not trivialize your kindness. That is unworthy of you.”

Jed opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. Here he was, doing a heck of a job making Oct reassure him, when things should be the other way around. With a sigh, he plopped down on the bedroll beside Octavius. “Do you… do you want me to…. you know. Hold your hand?”

Octavius smiled. “Etiam. Yes, please.” He removed his red cloak, neatly folding the fabric as Jed’s fingers sought out the clasps to his chest plate. He was soon down to his tunic. For one brief, surreal moment, Octavius wanted to snatch his armor back and pull the familiar weight closer. Instead, he concentrated on the feel of Jedediah’s hand stroking down his back. He gave into the soothing touch and went willingly as the cowboy reclined them down on the bedroll. Octavius let out a shaky sigh and curled into Jed’s arms.

There were definitely times when he wished Jedediah was more romantic, but in moments such as this, Octavius could not ask for anything better. They laid there until their limbs stiffened and daylight bled the magic away.

————

When Octavius woke the next evening, he found a stack of clothes and no Jedediah beside him. He reached out and felt of the long-sleeved shirt on top. It was red, which Octavius liked, and had a long row of buttons down the middle, which he disliked. Buttons were a nuisance. Jed always laughed when he got frustrated with removing the cowboy’s shirt when they were being intimate. Underneath the red shirt was a dark vest and a pair of chaps. A handkerchief, socks, and a gun hoister was stacked haphazardly on top of a pair of boots nearby.

No use putting off the inevitable. Octavius shed his tunic and began to get dressed. He and Jedediah had tried on each other’s clothing before, of course. The experience had been largely amusing, rife with indignant grumblings and faux-melodramatic reactions to their cultural differences. As Octavius pulled up the heavy fabric the trousers, he tried to summon some of that levity. Nothing came to him; a sense of solemn finality hovered over him. Temporary, he reminded himself. All this was just temporary.

He exited the tent and stood for inspection. Jed surveyed him with an appreciative glance then placed a hat on the Roman’s head.

“There,” Jedediah remarked with a nod. “Now yer a proper cowboy.”

Octavius forced a smile.

 _Temporary_ …


	2. Silver Town

Jedediah is, if you will excuse the cliche, the love of Octavius’ life. He was also his closest friend. But Jed wasn’t Octavius’ _only_ friend, and the past two weeks had opened the Roman’s eyes to this fact. 

Life had progressed fairly smoothly. Jed and Oct continued their adventures and antics around the museum. It was only at the end of the night, when they returned to the Western diorama together, that Octavius faced the truth. He missed bidding his citizens good day. He also missed the uneven pattern of cobbles under his feet. He missed not having to translate himself into English. He missed his own clothes, even if he now carried Jed’s scent faintly wherever he went, which was nice.

He missed training his soldiers. 

He missed _baths_. 

“Boy,” drawled a Westerner, interrupting Octavius’ quiet conversation. “That hoss don’t understand your jibber-jabber.”

“No, I suppose not,” Octavius replied testily as he switched his speech. “Obviously these horses only understand Spanish, Chinese, and the inelegant butchering of the English language that you converse in. But _Latin_ is out of the question.”

Jed’s horse, up to this point enjoying the attentions and friendly pets of the Roman, pinned her ears back and whirled away from the angry tone. Octavius sighed.

“Err. If ya say so.” The Westerner eyed Octavius dubiously then sauntered away. Octavius was left alone with endless sand and irritable thoughts. Railroad business had claimed Jed for a portion of the night, leaving his friend to his own devices. Octavius hadn’t minded at first, but now found himself restless.

Employment was the antidote to idleness. He began to make his way around the corral, inspecting the wooden fences for weak spots. The horse, Sally, eventually returned to Octavius, curious as to the man’s actions and nipping playfully at his hands as he ran them over the beams.

“You are just as troublesome as your owner.” Sally nickered and shook her mane.

“Talkin’ to the horses, Octy? I think ya got too much sun already.” Octavius turned at the sound of Jed’s voice, meeting the twinkling blue eyes with a small smile of his own.

“Everything go well with the railroad?” Octavius inquired as the cowboy drew closer.

“Yup. It’s all just formalities with the mayor, ya know, since it’s not like the train will ever go anywhere. Bit pointless, really.” For a moment, Jed looked glum, but he quickly shook it off. “So what’s my handsome cowboy up to?” 

Octavius waited patiently as Jed reached out to adjust the hat on his head, bringing it forward at a tilt. He was beginning to think Jedediah had a _thing_ about him in cowboy hats. “Want to go for a run?”

Jed brightened. Octavius followed his friend’s lead as the man neatly jumped the fence, but overtook Jed as he reached for the horse.

“Come along, Sally!” Octavius ran, laughing as the horse followed him, leaving her owner with his mouth agape in the dust.

“Hey now!” Jed’s words were spoken to the air. He quickly set his sights on another horse, but by the time he convinced the gelding to stop moving away, Octavius was already tacked up and mounted.

“Need this?” A bridle dangled from the Roman’s hand. Jed scoffed as he snatched it up. He ignored Octavius’ smug smile and focused on capturing his horse. “Stealin’ a man’s horse, that’s low, Gaius.”

“You’re simply jealous that she chose me.” Octavius squeezed the horse’s side to follow Jed as he lead his horse to the tack shed. “Worry not. You’re objectively the better ride, in my opinion.”

The cowboy glanced up at the Roman. Perceiving Octavius’ smirk and that yes, _he meant it that way_ , his face reddened. The gelding was tacked up in no time, and soon Jedediah was in the saddle.

Jed loved the power of steel. Trains, cars, remote airplanes - he had mastered them all. While he greatly admired the usefulness of machines, the old cowboy inside him still held the magnificent horse as the ideal transportation. Man and beast, working together. The only thing better than a ride was riding with one’s partner. Jedediah was tempted to say just that out loud, but funnily enough, what came out was: “Heels down.”

“Commemini. I know.” Octavius adjusted his posture. He disliked stirrups; no Roman cavalry wore them. Even he had to admit, though, stirrups were useful at faster paces. The general clicked his tongue and nudged his horse into a canter as they cleared the town. Once they reached open land, both men let their mounts go into a flat out gallop. For a few minutes, pure freedom lightened the Roman’s heart. Life as a cowboy, at least with Jedediah at his side, wasn’t too bad. If he could just focus on the present, maybe the longings would fade.

As the exhibit wall drew closer, the horses were slowed to a trot then a walk. Out of habit, Octavius’ eyes sought out the secret tunnel that connected the two dioramas. It was still there, or else Larry had redone his handiwork. Octavius had ignored everything that had to do with the new exhibit since the empire had been replaced. Jedediah, out of loyalty to his partner, had refrained from visiting, though he had had several conversations with others who had explored the new area.

“Let’s go over there.” Octavius’ voice was calm, but his unexpected words got a reaction out of his friend.

Jedediah’s eyes went comically wide. “What?! Ya sure?”

Octavius nodded. The new exhibit would be up for six months. There wasn’t any sense putting off the inevitable. “Yes. Let’s go now,” he repeated as he dismounted, “before I change my mind.”

The horses were tied to a post behind one of the buildings. With every step further into the tunnel, Octavius’ gut churned uneasily. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea. But he couldn’t back down now, not with the excited look on Jed’s face.

Octavius expected a scene similar to what they had just left behind at the end of the tunnel: vast sand with the occasional tumbleweed. To his surprise, they stepped into greenery. A dense forest stretched out before them. Somewhere in the canopy above them, birds twittered.

“…Wow…” Jed actually sounded breathless. “This is great!” He had dragged Octavius to areas in the natural museum section, of course. The Hall of Forests was soothing, but nothing else in the museum came close to the experience of having miniature-sized nature. The leaves beneath his boots were _them_ -sized, not giant obstacles to maneuver around. Tree branches loomed a respectable, climbable distance above their heads, not hundreds of feet into the air. Jed even delighted in the rocks - pebbles the size God intended instead of boulders everywhere, always boulders.

“Look, see here. See how this twig is broken off? Someone’s marking their path through the woods.” Jed inspected the tree then its neighbors. “We go this way.”

“Or we can just follow the trail,” Octavius pointed out. Jed’s excitement wasn’t as contagious as it usually was. Octavius couldn’t help but think of the houses that used to be there, the family that would acknowledge him as he made his way towards the tunnel.

“Sure, fine. Oh! I hear water!” 

The forest thinned out gradually as they approached the river cutting diagonally across the exhibit. Standing at the edge of the forest, they gazed out over the land. Towards the far side, the river branched off into a smaller creek, dividing the diorama into thirds. Tents and camping sites dotted alongside the water, where men crouched with little pans. Jed and Oct would later learn that these men were referred to as prospectors. A few buildings sat in-between the branches of water. Octavius’ domus, as fate would have it, was replaced by a saloon.

“Ya wanna turn back or can we explore a bit more?” Jed took in his partner’s scowling expression with concern.

“Go ahead.”

The trail cutting through the side of the hill was treacherously small in width, forcing the pair to forgo walking side by side. Octavius followed Jed carefully as they made their way along the river.

“Ya gotta admit, this place is beautiful.”

“Civilization is beautiful. Nature should be respected rather than polluted,” Octavius returned shortly.

“You don’t know that.” Jed followed Octavius’ pointed finger to where a man stood peeing in the river. “Oh. Guess fishin’ outta the question now.”

The cowboy stopped to talk with a few of the prospectors along the way. Octavius mostly stayed quiet, returning the inquisitive stares with his own commanding look. When Jedediah found out the name of the town, he laughed heartily.

“Silver town? Aren’t ya lookin’ for gold?”

The miner mumbled something about irony and went back to his task. The visitors exchanged sympathetic looks. It had taken both the Western exhibit and the Roman Empire a long time to accept their role as part of a museum. The Mayan world had taken even longer. With only two weeks of reality under their belts, it would be a while yet before the Gold Rush diorama accepted the truth of their magical situation.

A rudimentary bridge led them into town. Flimsy wooden buildings crowded near each other. Octavius’ attention was drawn to a stamp mill on the outskirts. Pleased at recognizing components of Roman machinery, Octavius started to pull Jedediah towards the site when they were interrupted.

“Smith!” A cowboy with the surname Johnson hailed the pair, beckoning them closer. He nodded politely at the Roman. “Octavius. Howdy. The saloon’s over here. Come in and stay a bit with us. Half the gang’s inside.”

“You weren’t kidding. There’s more of us here than the miners,” Jed remarked as they entered the saloon.

“Most of ‘em are still tryin’ to do their jobs. You remember how it was when the tablet first arrived,” Johnson replied. “C’mon, we’re playing cards.”

Jed glanced at the table full of rowdy Westerners then back at Octavius. One brow rose in question. 

The Roman shook his head. “You go ahead. I’ll check out the bar.” Normally he enjoyed playing games, but he was too full of discontent to give his best. As he carefully perched on the wobbly barstool, he couldn’t help but think all of this was a waste. Beautiful forest aside, the whole area was shabby and underutilized. Well, the prospectors may not agree with him. This was their life now and it wasn’t their fault.

Octavius sighed. Oh, he missed Rome. “A drink, please.”

He swallowed the fire of the whisky, feeling the liquid warming its way to his gut. It was horrid and made him long for the sweetness of wine. Must everything about the Americans be arduous? He signaled the barkeep for another. The second drink went down easier. The third dulled his guilt and flamed his indignation.

A new group of Westerners entered the saloon, talking loudly. Judging from their clothes, they were also part of the railroad exhibit.

“Boy, this place is great!” One of the men exclaimed cheerfully as he came up to the bar. “I hope the Roman world doesn’t ever come back.” Behind him, there was a murmur of consensus at these words, cut short as the sound of glass breaking rang out.

“How dare you turn your backs to the empire!“ Octavius abruptly stood up. The men looked startled, a few confused, and it occurred somewhere in the general’s brain that he may be yelling at them in Latin but none of that mattered at the moment.

“Oh, it’s that Roman guy,” the man drawled, disdain dripping from his words. “Why are you even here?”

“Renounce your words,” Octavius spoke calmly. The look in his eye was dangerous.

“Nah.” The man glanced to his buddies and smirked. “We like seeing a pair of legs in skirts that don’t belong to no fella.” He leaned forward, invading Octavius’ personal space. “I hope your people. Never. Come. Back.”

Octavius swung his fist. It connected with the Westerner’s nose, sending him staggering backwards. Blood gushed from the broken nose. Muttering an oath, the man attempted to return the Roman’s punch. Octavius easily side stepped the maneuver.

Jed jumped up from his seat. His movement towards the fight was cut off by one of the prospectors.

“Hold off, now. Ain’t nothin’ fair ‘bout two ‘gainst one.”

“I ain’t tryin’ to join him, I’m tryin’ to stop him!” Jed snapped back, struggling to push forward. “That kid ain’t got a chance against Oct!”

The Westerner lunged forwards. Around the brawling pair, the men were loudly egging on the action. Octavius hissed as a punch finally landed against his chest. He missed his sword, but he knew how these Westerners fought. Yes, he was very well versed in barbaric tactics. Another fist to the Westerner’s face brought the other man down.

“Octavius! Calm down!” Jedediah yelled, not doing a good job of calming down either. “And you! Keep your filthy hands off him!”

A gunshot pierced the air, immediately freezing all the inhabitants of the saloon.

“Get out!” The barkeep roared, holding the smoking weapon. Octavius complied with a scowl, back straight with pride.

Fresh air. He inhaled heartily, glad that the clamor of the saloon had quieted. Behind him, the doors swung open with a noisy creak. Octavius tensed as a hand suddenly gripped his arm. He was pushed back around the corner of the building.

“It’s me!” Jedediah hissed, eyes scanning their surroundings. Satisfied that no one was watching, his gaze flickered over the Roman’s face, checking for injuries. “Are you alright? Yer not hurt, are ya?”

“Worried about me, carissime?” Octavius’ words slurred slightly, his expression brightening.

Jed scoffed and grabbed Octavius’ right hand, removing the glove and inspecting the bruised knuckles. “We should get back and take care of this.”

“A kiss will make it all better.”

“Nice try. You’ll hafta wait ’til we get through the tunnel first.”

“That’s so far away,” Octavius pouted.

“Mmm. Time to show off some of that Roman stamina, huh? And who says I go ‘round kissin’ saloon brawlers? You sure made an impression back there.”

“I don’t require any of your bristly kisses anyway.” Octavius huffed and started off in the direction of the forest. He ignored Jedediah’s grin as the cowboy caught up with him. They made the return journey in comfortable silence. Once they reached the tunnel, Octavius cleared his throat rather pointedly. Jed laughed then pulled the Roman in for a kiss. It was a chaste kiss, quick but firm, and left Octavius craving another.

“Thanks for travelin’ next door with me. I reckon it was harder for ya than you’ll admit.” There was something in Jed’s eyes Octavius couldn’t place. Before he had a chance to decipher it, the cowboy reached out to adjust the Roman’s hat then walked off.

The return ride was less exciting than first journey. The night would soon be over, and they had traveled a great distance on foot. Each miniature was absorbed in their own thoughts during the leisurely ride back. Once they reached the corral, Jedediah reached out for Sally’s reins.

“You go on to the tent. I’ll take care of the horses.”

“I’m perfectly capable of helping,” Octavius replied with a frown.

“Yeah, I know you are, Octy,” Jed said patiently. “Just do me a favor and go take care of that hand of yours and rest some.”

The horses were given the attention they deserved: brushed, treated, and released. Jed stopped by the water pump to try to rinse some of the horse smell off him. Times like these he had to admit that the Roman baths weren’t _so_ bad. Octavius was going to have to put up with six months of smelly cowboy. 

_I hope your people never come back._ Jed recalled the rude man’s taunts and sighed.

“Pardner, I’m home,” he called out as he ducked into the tent. He was brought up short by the sight of his friend. Octavius had on his tunic and most of his armor. The Western clothes laid discarded in a neat pile.

“I cannot pretend any longer, Jed. I am grateful for the clothes, but you may have them back now.” Octavius finished adjusting his wrist armor and turned towards the cowboy, every inch the Roman general he was.

“‘Alright.” Jed leaned against his desk.

“I’ll remain in the tent during the day. This is for the best.” Octavius fully expected Jedediah to make some innuendo-laden quip (“Why wear anything if ya gonna stay inside?”). He waited in vain; the cowboy regarded him with a surprisingly solemn expression. Octavius frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Ain’t nothing…”

Before Octavius could press Jed further, the sound of footsteps drew close to their tent. A pair of boots scuffed the ground at the entrance as the flap was lifted.

“Smith! We have a problem…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to tumblr user @mostly-natm for letting me steal the line, "You’re objectively the better ride" from her artwork:
> 
> https://mostly-natm.tumblr.com/post/618147118434107393/yall-can-have-a-little-jedtavius-as-a-treatand
> 
> Thanks for your patience, readers! One more chapter to go. Comments are appreciated; if you point out typos, I'll love you forever.


	3. Home

  
“Wonder why the mayor wants to see us.”

Octavius shot Jedediah an incredulous look as they walked towards the government building. Last night’s summons had been put off on account of lack of time, energy, and frankly, interest. Recalling yesterday’s saloon fight, Octavius didn’t believe Jed’s obliviousness one bit. “Really? You have no idea whatsoever?”

Jed made a silly face at the general as he opened the door. Whatever had been bothering him the night before had been buried by the time the museum reawakened, but Octavius’ thoughts still lingered on the uneasy moment. He was determined to have a conversation after matters were settled with the head of the railroad exhibit.

“Hello! Please wait right here and I’ll announce ya to the mayor.” The clerk, eager to do his job, motioned for the pair to remain as he scuttled to the next room. All of three seconds later he returned to his post. “The mayor will see you now. Please go on back.”

“Thanks, Jack,” Jedediah drawled as he led the way. “Don’t die of boredom out there.”

“Smith. General.” Mayor Walker’s beady eyes only briefly glanced at Octavius as the pair entered the small office. “Heard ya two caused some excitement yesterday at the new place.”

Octavius had never been very impressed by the mayor. In the days before the truce, he had noticed early on the lack of leadership from the man. Instead of the political head of the town, it was Jedediah who led his men in the skirmishes. Jedediah drew up the battle plans, retaliated against Roman advancement, and cheered on his fellow citizens. Octavius recognized the cowboy as an equal long before they became friends. His respect for Jedediah hadn’t dwindled when he learned that he was only the exhibition leader and not the government official Octavius had taken him for.

Staring at the mayor, Octavius briefly wondered how different their lives may have turned out if the man had taken more responsibility for the welfare of his people. Perhaps not that much different; Jedediah would have stood out to him in some other way, surely.

“It wasn’t even a brawl, Walker. The only damage was a glass an’ a hole in the roof. How come his gun worked an’ ours don’t?!” Jedediah turned towards Octavius as the thought occurred to him. Was the tablet’s magic stronger now? He should ask Ahkmenrah.

“I am responsible for the altercation,” Octavius spoke up. “Jedediah tried to stop me. I will make a formal apology if necessary.”The mayor leaned back in his chair and made a show of shuffling a stack of papers. “I already did the sorry dance. Yer not the only diplomat ‘round here, General. An’ I’ll ask if you go visitin’ again, you’ll do the proper thing and not wear…..that.” 

Both Jed and Octavius’ faces reddened in anger. Before the cowboy could start yelling, the mayor held up his hand.

“Lemme explain. See, those folks are just startin’ to get used to the idea that they belong in a museum. We don’t want to discuss the Roman world, ‘cause we don’t want them to catch on to the fact that they’ll be leavin’. If they know they’ll be replaced, they could try to invade our town. So let’s not spook ‘em.”

Octavius remained silent, expression cold with disdain. Jedediah grumbled something under his breath and shifted restlessly.

“Is that all? ‘Cause we got things to do,” Jedediah said.

“Almost,” Mayor Walker drawled. “Make sure ya don’t flaunt yourselves either. They’re from a similar time as us and they don’t have the history of knowing ya personally.”

“Pardon?” Octavius asked, stunned. “Exactly when do we _flaunt_ ourselves? When Jed refuses to hold hands with me in public? Or when —“

His indignant reply was drowned out by Jedediah’s outburst, full of slang the Roman had never heard before, or perhaps it was just the unchecked anger that coated his words until they were near indecipherable. Jed said what he wanted to say then stomped out of the room, slamming the entrance door behind him.

Octavius followed after him, giving the cowboy a moment and a little distance to regroup. Some nearby Western citizens looked up curiously at Jed’s dramatic exit then nodded politely to Octavius. Jed stopped by the side of a building, and Octavius was reminded once again of yesterday’s events.

“Jed?”

“I’m sorry.”

Octavius placed a hand on the cowboy’s shoulder. “You do not have to apologize for someone else’s ignorance.”

“This is my fault.”

Octavius’ brow furrowed. “What is?”

“All of this. Your unhappiness,” Jed clarified. He kept his eyes on a distant sight, avoiding his friend’s gaze. Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the edge of the building. “Larry saved ya from being taken away ‘cause I’d have missed ya somethin’ awful. If it weren’t for me, you’d be sleeping with the rest of ‘em, oblivious. You wouldn’t be dealing with losin’ your home, an’ tryin’ to fit in a different world, or any of this stuff.”

“Oh, Jedediah…”

“You havin’ to stay in the tent durin’ the day, that doesn’t sit right with me. You’re a general, a leader an’ all that. You shouldn’t have to hide.” Jed pressed on, apparently determined to confess all his thoughts on the matter. “You shouldn’t have to hide anything about yourself. Yer the best fella I know and I don’t want you to be unhappy.” 

He hated the way his voice grew rough towards the end yet he didn’t regret his words. They were the truth, just the tiny portion of truth he could admit out loud without getting sappy. “An’ if you get tired of hangin’ out here and want Gigantor to put you away for a while to past the time, I’ll go with you.”

Octavius lifted the cowboy’s hat. Blue eyes finally met his own, expression pained. Jed was surprised to see affection in the Roman’s face, not the stern resentment he expected.

“That will not be necessary. I miss the empire, yes. Very much. But please listen to me when I say that _you_ are my home, Jedediah Smith, and I would much rather spend all the time I have by your side.”

Discretion be damned. Octavius gently cupped the cowboy’s face and brought their lips together.

“We have faced more difficult situations than this, carissime. Make me laugh, as you always do, and hold me close when I need you, and the nights will fly by and Rome will return soon enough.”

“Yer pretty darn amazing, Oct.” And selfless, Jed added to himself. 

“Are you just now realizing that?” Octavius smirked. “Come along. Race you to the car?”

——————

“Daley!”

The night guard looked up as the museum director made his way to his desk. “Good evening.”

“It’s the strangest thing,” Dr. McPhee commented. “Remember when we removed the Roman exhibit?“Yes…” Larry hedged, hoping his face portrayed an innocent expression.

“Well, we finally got around to completing inventory and our general is missing. All the other miniatures are accounted for but one.”

“That _is_ strange,” Larry agreed, eyes wide.

“Someone wanted to order a replacement figure, but I told them to hold off. Not too many places a Roman General would wind up, eh?” Dr. McPhee gave Larry a hard look.

“Right! I’m sure Oct— I mean, I’m sure the figure will turn up when Rome is back,” Larry amended.

“Just make sure he doesn’t wind up in the stocks again.”

“Oh, no. Those days are long past,” Larry answered without thinking.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, sir.”


End file.
